1937 Cadillac Series 90 V16 Cabriolet

In 1937 Cadillac built fifty of their most expensive Series 90 V-16 chassis, and all but two were bodied in-house by Fleetwood. This chassis was delivered to Lausanne, Switzerland, to be bodied by Carrosserie Willy Hartmann per an order by local resident Philippe Barraud, a wealthy paper mill heir and playboy of the 1930s. Barraud wanted an outrageous, bespoke automobile to suit his stylish lifestyle. Stretching 22 feet in length, the car was designed in the sweeping cabriolet style of the Delahaye built by Figoni & Falaschi for the 1936 Paris Auto Salon. The car soon suffered several accidents, possibly because its size was unsuitable for small European roads, and it was permanently parked in 1939. Then it was all but abandoned until the summer of 1968 when a second owner acquired it for just $925. Over the following 50 years, it changed hands many times and gained several non-original embellishments, but this unique and imposing Cadillac V-16 now has been meticulously restored to its original configuration and its original off-white paintwork with distinctive gray body stripe and fender skirts for its debut at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

The current owner, who treated the car to its restoration, purchased the vehicle intact, retaining its original drivetrain and much of the original bodywork. There were numerous modifications, but after intense research and many hours, it had been returned to its original splendor.